Limerick snatch victory from Clare with late turnaround
TELLING CONTRIBUTION: Donnacha Ó Dalaigh of Limerick celebrates after scoring his side's second goal. Pic: John Sheridan, Sportsfile
Limerick’s first championship victory over Clare in Cusack Park in 34 years saw them turn around a nine-point deficit.
The All-Ireland champions’ smash and grab looked nigh on impossible when Mark Rodgers pushed a rampant Clare 1-15 to 0-9 ahead.
However, goals from Diarmaid Byrnes, Donnacha Ó Dalaigh and Aaron Gillane guided them to a most unlikely win in front of a 20,055 crowd.
A flurry of scores had brought Limerick to within five points by the 58th minute.
Aidan McCarthy’s 10th point ended that purple patch for Limerick or so it appeared. A Byrnes long-range free dipped and Eibhear Quilligan was unable to negotiate it, although Aaron Gillane appeared to be in the small square before the ball arrived.
The goal was awarded as was Ó Dalaigh’s in the 65th minute as he availed of Gearóid Hegarty pushing through the ball for him to capitalise. Hegarty, moved to inside forward, was unmarked a minute later and his shot was touched in by a poaching Gillane.
Tony Kelly’s arrival to the fray in the 55th minute did not have the desired effect. He did send over two points in the closing stages but Clare’s resolve had been broken by that stage.
Up 1-10 to 0-8 at half-time, Clare had Peter Duggan to thank for commanding the skies. He caught four balls and gave Clare a terrific platform on their puck-outs around the vaunted Limerick half-back line that were fluffing their lines.
Losing Mike Casey to an early leg injury was a blow for Limerick but they had troubled the Clare inside line in the opening exchanges and Gillane should have done better with his fourth minute attempt to find the net.
Clare weren’t much better with their initial goal openings either as Nickie Quaid didn’t have to do much with his couple of saves.
Mark Rodgers’ 11th minute shot was tame as was David Reidy’s in the 21st minute, although the attack remained alive and Cian Lynch had to hook Rodgers as he wound up to strike for goal.
There was little the Limerick goalkeeper could do about McCarthy’s point-blank shot in the 29th minute, though.
David McInerney launched a beautiful delivery into Shane O’Donnell whose stick pass across to McCarthy was as precise as his fellow forward’s finish and it propelled Clare into a six-point lead.
McCarthy had 1-8 to his name, seven from frees, by the interval as the Limerick rearguard struggled to come to terms with Duggan’s aerial ability and the movement of Rodgers and Reidy.
At the other end, Seamus Flanagan’s early promise was quenched when Adam Hogan was assigned to him.
Gearóid Hegarty sent over three first-half points but Limerick’s accuracy left plenty to be desired.
Flanagan and David Reidy each posted two wides in Limerick’s total of nine at the break.
A. McCarthy (1-10, 0-8 frees); D. Fitzgerald, M. Rodgers, T. Kelly (1 free) (0-2 each); S. O’Donnell, S. Morey (0-1 each).
A. Gillane (1-5, 0-5 frees); D. Ó Dalaigh (1-1), G. Hegarty (0-3); D. Byrnes, (1-0); C. O’Neill, D. Reidy (0-2 each); K. Hayes, C. Lynch (0-1 each).
E. Quilligan; R. Hayes, C. Cleary (c), A. Hogan; D. Ryan, J. Conlon, D. McInerney; C. Malone, D. Lohan; D. Fitzgerald, M. Rodgers, P. Duggan; D. Reidy, S. O’Donnell, A. McCarthy.
S. Morey for D. Lohan (h-t); T. Kelly for D. Reidy (55); P. Flanagan for R. Hayes (59); S. Meehan for M. Rodgers (62); A. Shanagher for D. Fitzgerald (70).
N. Quaid; M. Casey, D. Morrissey, B. Nash; D. Byrnes, D. Hannon (c), K. Hayes; W. O’Donoghue, C. O’Neill; T. Morrissey, C. Lynch, G. Hegarty; D. Reidy, A. Gillane, S. Flanagan.
S. Finn for M. Casey (inj 6); D. Ó Dalaigh for S. Flanagan (45); C. Boylan for T. Morrissey (49); A. English for W. O’Donoghue (59); A. O’Connor for A. Gillane (68).
C. Lyons (Cork).
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